Good evening and welcome to the blog – I hope you’ve had a good week overall and an exciting weekend ahead? Tomorrow is our (local) annual Joe Strummer tribute night which I am looking forward to, even though a decade ago it seemed preposterous that we’d be commemorating anything other than anniversaries of album releases and concerts when it comes to The Clash. Even though the anniversary of Joe’s death is December I’m sure the same emotion will be with me tomorrow night – how could it not be? Regardless I hope the turnout is good and songs are played loud and well.

I think I need a ‘personal assistant’ for The Clash Blog and I say that with tongue only partially in cheek as there really is that much to write about, research and organise. I’ve thought more than once that to really keep current on all that is written about in the press, plus interviews, blogs, events, concerts and just looking at the impact of The Clash I could do two or three updates per day – something I never imagined being the case when I began the blog. That said it’s a good thing and I just need to write more often which would provide a partial solution. For example apart from tomorrow night’s event in Phoenix there is also another Joe Strummer tribute night taking place that I only just learned about.

Winnipeg in Canada is the location and it is the city’s sixth annual memorial gig for Joe -which reiterates that I need to spend more time compiling the details of events for the blog. There may be a handful of people in Winnipeg who can make it along – but with more notice they could have come from further afield. That’s the piece where I want to ensure the blog is getting people aware of events and attending events! Still, I’m rambling aren’t I, here are the specifics:

JOE STRUMMER AND THE CLASH TRIBUTE

Saturday, West End Cultural Centre. The sixth annual tribute to the late Joe Strummer and the Clash features the Farrell Bros., Kids on Fire and the Stiff Bishops. The show also doubles as a fundraiser for Solidarity Rock, an initiative to send music instruments to Cuban musicians. This year Kids on Fire will travel to the country in March for the organization’s fourth expedition. Tickets are $10 at Music Trader.

Here is a link to the venue itself which looks like a cool place for sure. I’ve also got a link to the myspace page for Manitoba’s The Stiff Bishops and beneath is a video of them playing Safe European Home if (like me) you can’t make it to Winnipeg tomorrow. (Please note this is not a Strummerville event)

The Stiff Bishops, part of tomorrow’s Joe Strummer night in Winnipeg

On a more constructive note, if you would like to submit an article for the blog or have news you want to share or suggestions in general please don’t hesitate to contact me. Back shortly – Tim

Find out more about Solidarity Rock at their official site or via their facebook page.

Good afternoon and welcome back to your sunny and warm Clash blog. Normal weather service has resumed which is encouraging as need to get out of the house this weekend and cause some trouble (which can be accomplished here just by having the wrong accent). As I wrote earlier one of my 2011 commitments was to see more live music which will finally get started on Saturday night at the Joe Strummer tribute show in town and then in February Interpol are coming which I was pleased about and then I found out the support act is pretty good too (School of Seven Bells). Despite the name being a bit naff on the surface, the origin is rather brilliant so go and Wikipedia that if you don’t know about it.

Earlier today I had a moment of great exhilaration followed by a big letdown just a few moments later but I should be used to this scenario. I was really chuffed to see that Wire (not a television show) were doing a North American tour and then deflated a few clicks later when I saw that they were not coming to Phoenix nor anywhere even vaguely close. I’ll make it over to Los Angeles or San Diego for some concerts but not Seattle. What was the furthest you traveled to see a concert? I remember in London you’d bump into people who’d traveled from all over the country to see a band, I should have appreciated it more at the time…. I’m really tempted to save my pennies and get along to SXSW in Austin this March if I can justify it – though I need to see if Billy Bragg is going to be there or something equally fun.

Two quick bits of news today then and the first from Strummerville and yet another Joe Strummer tribute night in association with the foundation. This time its over to Dusseldorf, Germany for a special night a week from Saturday – Jan 22nd. The lineup features a stack of six acts plus DJ celebrating the life and music of Joe so I hope if you are in that corner of Germany you might be able to make it along. Its not even a long journey from the eastern border of Belgium of the Netherlands if a train journey sounds appealing. Anyway here’s a link to the event on the Dusseldorf tourism site (pretty cool of them) and its organised again by actor Mario Irrek. Tickets are available from Hitsville Records, Wallstraße 21, phone 02 11 32 88 44.

Speaking of concerts once more, after a few months have passed I’d have to rank seeing Gorillaz as one of the more unique/special/inventive/impressive concerts I’ve ever been to. There have been many gigs that meant more to me (if that makes sense) but the very notion of Mick and Paul being on stage was good enough to get me to go along and then the presentation of the gig itself with Damon Albarn as the ringleader (coupled with the fact that I do like the music) made it a really memorable concert. If you talked yourself out of seeing them last year due to it ‘not being The Clash’ (what could be??) or the cost which was admittedly steep, I’d say you missed out on something really special. I still need to tie up loose ends from reports on the last shows of the tour in Australia and New Zealand but the spectacle of Gorillaz already shows up in a number of ‘concerts of the year’ lists such as this one from The Chicago Tribune.

I did have something else tonight but it escapes me now, I had it in my head and then suddenly its been replaced by thoughts of getting some sleep. I’ll be back tomorrow with more and another installment of The Clash Cup is in the making – got to complete round two soon! Cheers for dropping in and sharing the blog, saying hello and such. Spare a thought for Brazil tonight, its been a grim week….

Hello again on this most Mondayish of Mondays. So we are back into a new year and all that it entails….the biggest thing I notice with the change in the calendar is having to do quick maths in your head for example when thinking ‘I can’t believe Sandinista! came out thirty thirty-one years ago and they’ve yet to reissue it’ or ‘how funny that Spurs haven’t won the league for forty-nine fifty years’ otherwise its a year nearer something or other, though I’m excited nonetheless. It doesn’t seem so long ago we were all being told to panic about Y2K so it being ’11 now seems a bit odd to me at least.

I’d intended a long detailed post tonight taking on a piece of Clash history or a deeper look at a song but I’ll confess to being bloody tired and having lacked the time to put together the requisite research. That said I wanted to check in with an update,  a reference to a great interview today and a brief brief obituary. I’m still waiting for your nominations from yesterday as to which two bands I should see – I’m looking most likely toward it being Interpol and Little Dragon but change my mind for me! Apparently Social Distortion swear too much (or specifically Loch Ness if that is indeed his real name) – to which I feel that if it (swearing) makes up more than 10% of your stage chatter you really should just fuck off. Right then other brief matters and I’ll get a standard post together tomorrow I hope.

I mentioned the newly downloadable Gorillaz album and queried whether it features Mick or Paul in an obvious capacity as I’d (still) not had time to listen to the entire album and my thanks to the well informed and current Melissa who explains:

Answering your doubt yes, Mick & Paul were involved in some songs of The Fall (new Gorillaz release). The former played guitar on Hillbilly Man and some of his speaking… voice is heard on California & the Slipping of the Sun, while the latter played bass on Aspen Forest.

Thanks Mel and I’ll take time out for those as soon as I can. If you know more or indeed any differently please let me know. Bad form isn’t it, me having you the reader do  the research let’s say that I’m pushing the community Clash feel for the new year – more from you makes for a better blog. I also wanted to point you in the direction of an excellent, long and informative interview with Billy Bragg in today’s Guardian. Bragg talks about music, politics, protest and influences most notably of course The Clash. Billy as you know had a very busy 2010 including working with Strummerville acts and Jail Guitar Doors. He also feels (as do I) that we might be on the cusp of some serious and important changes in 2011 – you’ll need to read the interview in full but it draws some interesting lines between today and the early 80′s when Billy first gained attention.

Finally tonight sad news that the brilliantly talented actor Pete Postlethwaite has lost his recurring battle with cancer at the age of 64. I rarely get excited about actors regardless of what film they are in but I’d endorse you to see his work in any film he was involved in. Just a remarkable actor and a sad sad loss at a young age. I’ve not got any obvious connection between he and The Clash except for the fact that if you want an actor as versatile and talented as The Clash were throughout his career you don’t need look much further that Postelthwaite….a really dire beginning to the year. I’m not one to write obituaries but this in the Guardian is worthy – as is devoting some time to watching any of his numerous films.

I’ll be back tomorrow – take care. Tim

RIP Pete Postlethwaite